Full Moon - To have fun and frying pans
by Akely
Summary: The war had ended, Utsuro had died, now comes the time where everyone had grown up. Okita is bored to death, Gintoki is waiting for his hair to fall as Kagura might or might not get pregnant and comes back one day...As for our redhead, she's kicking alien asses in space with a small boy and they have a mission: cooperate with the Shinsengumi and protect Soyo. First of Moon series
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, it's me, Akely. I'm sporadic as always right now— f*ck schools. Actually, I've written a lot, there are like 4 chapters of K &C and some one-shots but they need revisions.**

So, here. It's going to be a little angsty, probably the only one from this fanfic too as it will be a lot more fun starting from chapter 2 :D

* * *

 **New Moon**

 _Chapter one_

* * *

The Shinsengumi was a wreck at this instant.

"Pops, you can't be serious. They wouldn't request this kind of mission from us, they usually get the Mimawarigumi, we're not assigned to do the guards anymore. Elite stays with the elite."

"Mah you're wrong today Sougo," Matsudaira blew off his smoke onto Hijikata's face— much to his displease— "But seems they're busy this month with someth'ing, I forgot what exactly. Anyway we have to keep an eye on the Joui patriots and protect Soyo-sama during the festivities, they'll aim for her. The Shoguness." Matsudaira inhaled more of his large cigarette, his whole body was slouched against the wooden chair while his legs rested on his study. In front of him stood the commander, the vice-commander, and the first captain division. "You three shou'd be happy. We'd earn money, lot of money."

Kondo looked too white to admit the truth, Sougo never cared so naturally, Hijikata had to announce the news. _Bad news, to be exact_. While this kind of request would have been welcomed as an amazing opportunity— they never appreciated losing against the white police— this time, not. "Matsudaira-san, we have a problem."

"What?"

"Shimamoto, Kusanabe, Yamamoto, Yamoto, Kusanagi…" He tried to list the men in his mind, the whole group of men that had decided to end their duties for... _Well_. "It's June, after all. Lot of our men married and decided to resign from being an officer for their future family's well-being. Nothing surprising since it happens each year but we lost lot of good'one. And now, this…"

Kondo nodded— albeit in a more embarrassed manner— Okita sighed. He didn't want to recruit. He hated recruiting, especially since had been the one to do it recently. Most newbies never last long, it was probably just a pass when every boy had dreamt of being an officer and protecting Edo. Then, they'd notice what the job actually implied and run the tail between their legs. _Cowards._ "We're not enough for this job. Newbies need training first, it will be too late."

"We have plenty of remaining men." Matsudaira cocked an eyebrow, not impressed by the situation.

"Of men, yes, of _skilled_ men, however," the red-clad captain shook his head. "Can't say the same thing."

"I see." He removed his legs from the table and stood up. Kondo was shrieking as one never pleased to anger his superior even when it wasn't his fault. They were just out of luck this time. Hijikata gulped and Okita waited until the old man just laughed at their face with a pointing finger, none of them respectful. "Don't make this' face, are you guys constipated?"

"Matsudaira-san! B-but what about the request, then?"

"Don't have to worry bout' it, I have a plan. Did'you guys heard of the Amanto Mercenary Guild?"

They shook their head. Lately, Yamazaki had been busying the TV with records of his beloved android and frankly speaking, none of them had wanted to bother him when he resembled more of a maniac than the kind anpan-man he usually was.

"Amantos are hardly accepted'ere now, you guys know it, right?" Okita uncomfortably agreed. "So they've made a guild, people request them for cheap and the popularity of their service is rising. Even here. It's mostly for the three warriors' tribes" He chuckled to himself. "No one fears that stupid antenna prince, but the Shinras, Yatos, and Dakinis marked people's minds."

"You want to request them, then?"

His laughter only amplified and Hijikata felt stupid, all of sudden. "Them? One of them's enough. Elite stay with the elite? We're rebels, have been ones, so we'll request the best. At least to bother the whities, they never request them. Too proud'."

"Wouldn't it cost too much, Pops?" _Especially with all the Dom Perignon you buy at Boss lady's cabaret._

"Nah. They're cheap, I said. Even the elite." He smirked at the youngest, "I believe in'em. They're strong, and the Guild taught'em how to handle duties and missions. Or do you have a better plan, Sougo?" The concerned paused. He pondered, and shook his head.

"No."

"Then, the case is closed. The mercenary will show up in three days or a week if they're far. Depends on what they're doing right now." He rummaged in the pocket of his large black coat and his face lightened when he caught what he had wanted. The three others stared curiously at the small card he was extending to them now, "That's their mark, this card is the proof. You get the identity, their rank and success rate."

"Fine. So how do we request one?"

"Don't worry bout' it. I met a friend who works there," actually he was a superior much like himself— albeit in the Amanto Mercenary Guild— and was drinking at the cabaret. They quickly befriended each other for their similar tastes which led them to offer disposition if one of them needed help. "Well, you guys can dispose of yourselves," Matsudaira refrained of prolonging the sentence with the truth that was _I promised Sen-chan that I'll visit her at the cabaret today!_

* * *

With a sigh escaping from his lips, Okita Sougo had just finished his daily shift composed of one morning patrol and paperwork, a _lot_ of paperwork. It had been very tiring for him who was once more of the rather than the passive as an officer, before, he did afternoon and night patrols, fought Joui patriots or trained his men but then, since the Shinsengumi had changed, there was less of action and more diplomacy. Each day, he tried to motivate himself on the work, perhaps, because there was once a close girl to him that had been cast away from the Earth.

For that same reason, after a hard and very much boring day of work he always found himself meeting with _Danna_ at Snack Otose. He strolled the rather large street until reaching the destination, a small bar just below the Yorozuya. Being a familiar there Sougo saluted the old day that he called _granny_ much to her displease and took the seat just at the silver perm's right.

"The usual please," he said to Otose. Warm sake, always warm sake because when he was with the silver perm they always talked about the topic he couldn't possibly avoid no matter how much it hurt. He didn't spare a glance at his drinking companion and sipped a cup of the beverage first, only after did he talk. "How's today?"

"Same as yesterday, and before yesterday, and before before yesterday," Gintoki answered, "Still can't believe how things turned out. The brat is away, somewhere chasing alien asses to kick in space and I'm here. We're here. I never knew she was going to make the Yorozuya feel so empty, this vulgar snot kid." He looked up at him. "What about you?"

"Hijikata-san is still breathing, what can I say?" He didn't expect less from Danna, he was still at it, same always the same old topic which keeps coming back relentlessly. "This is the end of the month; did you receive her letter?"

"Well yeah," the samurai rummaged in his pants pocket for the missive carefully enveloped in a red paper. It seemed, with all the years that had passed, Kagura still loved the color dearly. Or perhaps she was feeling nostalgic? He honestly didn't know, but he did instead find the letter and put it on the bar. "It's shorter than last time, she's not too far from the Earth. Mars, she said, just had finished a mission. I still don't know what she does in outer space, sometimes it looks like alien-hunting, sometimes like a Yorozuya kind of request."

"Must be fun, it's not fair, that she got all the fun up there." Okita's comment make Gintoki groan.

"I know," he raised his voice and glanced at the young man, "You're not here for that. You're here to know if she will return one day. Oogushi-kun said so, that you don't look preoccupied the day because there's work to do but you don't sleep at night. You look like a panda."

"…I could say the same for you."

"I'm worried as a _father_ , I don't know how did she grow, this brat. It will be the death of me when she'll come back with a stomach round as a ball and certainly not from eating too much," he explained. Otose was blowing smoke, as usual, she listened to them and their words, it surprised her at first upon seeing the officer all sullen, now she was used to his frowns. "You still feel guilt over this. The rival you had protected— you failed, just this time. And you should have turned the page long ago."

"Don't make it sound so cheesy Danna, it's not like that." Of course not, it wasn't so simple or else he would have turned the page a long time ago, as Gintoki has said. "It was just my duty to guarantee her…staying there. She fought with us, she got injured so she should have been recompensed."

"World is unfair, humans are weak and have doubt. They are scared of the unknown, perhaps she's better up there, Souichiro-kun. This brat doesn't fear anything, she fought head this stupid Utsuro, even if he was stronger. Far stronger than all of us. This world is too little for her and humans too foolish."

"She didn't want to leave, _Danna_. She had no choice." Okita had just finished gulping the whole bottle, he needed the alcohol in his head to have the courage and let the words come out of his mouth. Usually, he didn't think much of China— he was busy and had a life to lead but when there was nothing to do, there's just her face suddenly appearing. He didn't confide himself in anyone but perhaps Kondo-san or even Hijikata, though you could add the Yorozuya boss to the list now. Kondo-san and Hijikata hadn't known the girl very well to the point it became uncomfortable to discuss about her with them, so he let himself be under influence and throw everything he kept in his stomach to Danna. The very father of the brat.

"She would have either case. Her idiot of a father, the baldy, said so too. That she was bright and curious that had been in the shadows for too long. Earth was her first sun but she wants more, she'll explore the universe, kick villains' asses like the violent girl she is," a clang echoed as Gintoki crushed the floor with _Lake Touya_ for the nth time. (Otose growled but didn't orally reprimand him, she understood too, what he felt.) "You couldn't have stopped her, nor you, nor me."

"Will she come back?" The flaxen-haired captain pitifully dropped his head on the table, his voice sounded dizzy as his mind and with a bit of surprise, Gintoki saw in him the eighteenth teenager who loved to anger Kagura so much, yet wanted to protect her as well. She was innocent, naïve, not totally unaware of what happened in the harsh reality but she was different nonetheless.

She was undirtied by blood yet, unlike all of them minus Pachi. The heartless murderer in the form of Okita Sougo had been caught by this light— he cherished it. Like he did, or like Kamui did in his own twisted way.

"I don't know. Kagura never talks about returning, she's too busy, I think, or she's not ready to get back here. Y'know, if I was to be tormented by hate-burning stares and to be called a monster, I wouldn't come back, too."

"She's not a monster."

"Why do you miss her? That's unlike of you to be sentimental."

Okita raised his head to meet Gintoki's tired face, then he shook his head. "I don't know. She's not always here in my mind, she shows up when I'm at the worst, like always. That brat. How was I supposed to know that she'd let me like this?"

"You sound in love— bu you two weren't so intimate Sofa-kun, you're a hundred years too young to dare to even target her as a female," he threatened as ill intent oozed from the silver perm before he sighed. "I think that should be what you feel when you lose a great rival, especially one like Kagura."

"We didn't share secrets. China had never heard of _Ane-ue_ , but she was just there, you know. Grinning like a madman and turned around, before throwing a sukonbu at me when I was mourning Ane-ue." They never discussed about their nightmares or deep, deep fear but there were times where they conversed about which food was the best, or who was the worst— Gorilla or Madao? And it did mark him. It just did. "She was just…here."

Gintoki patted the red-clad officer with empathy. "I guess gorilla wasn't so wrong then. Losing a great enemy is like losing a great friend, Sofa-kun. That's how this damned brat is, she comes suddenly, enter your life and burn memories of her in your mind and as suddenly as she came, she leaves and let you a sukonbu-shaped hole in your whole being and that, while she had broken your bones and used all of your money for disgusting sea weeds."

"It's not Sofa-kun," Okita breathed out before falling asleep. "It's Okita."

"Yeah yeah, Sofa, Souichiro or Okita— it's all the same."

Before leaving, Gintoki dug one more time his hand in one of his pockets to get out a creased white paper. On there, a doodle of Kagura herself, drawn by her hands too. Apparently, she had problems mailing pictures of her so instead, to show him how much she had grown overtime, she sent him a badly-drawn girl in an outfit he'd have banned and fighting tentacles-aliens with Sadaharu.

He put out the drawing besides Okita and finally quit the room, not paying, _as usual_.

"Ahh— today is a sucky night too. Better play Pachinko!"

"Come back you stupid perm head !" Otose cried out, chasing after him.

Sougo looked at the drawing, a sigh had escaped from his lips once more. The alcohol was not doing him any good— he'll be better once sober. Not more whimpering of China, like every morning, he'll wake up, do his jobs and forget her. Perhaps the mission will do him, he just missed the past— the 'before" the change and everything included in it, China was just the fucking _cherry on the top_ of everything. Perhaps, he just missed the time where he had fewer responsibilities and well, a life that was less dull and more fun.

The good old times.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, it's Akely again. Well, here's the second chap, with the infamous "small boy that accompany Kagura". A rather light chapter :D  
**

Putxi-chan: Sadly, as the tag says, it's a rather light story. There are still some angst and lot of action coming up, though ;) Thank you for you support!

* * *

 **The dark side of the Moon**

 _New Moon II_

Where Kagura was most of the time there was not any sunlight to wake her up. No matter how close she was to the sun of the system, without, of course, burning the spaceship, light didn't seem to ever cross the solid glass panel of the windows. It was bright red-orange painted in black that simply never shone— perhaps space was too dense and just _consumed_ the light.

Nonetheless, she loved exploring the universe, traveling from planet to planet. She lived for this lifestyle when she met all kinds of people, there were bad and good ones but more often than not, they were more complex than a 'yes' or a 'no'. It took her years to both develop the skills and gain the experience one needed when trying to understand how people and worlds worked. Back at fifteenth years old, she was totally clueless— why were some people richer than others, even if they work less and were also more stupid? Why did this gangster fight with the officer, other than because they were a gangster and a policeman? Now, she could answer them. Most of them, at least.

Add to that, now, she was the one teaching those knowledges. She had been just woken up from her bed by the small boy who had for the past minutes, was shaking her since calling her by name never worked anyway. He was still wearing yesterday's cloth; they had gotten back to the ship late and dropped on their bed for a good night sleep. Missions were quite tiring, especially one which included chasing an entire flock of sand-dragon-bird aliens. It was nothing she couldn't beat— yes— but she wasn't used to teaching someone yet, and protect the small boy at her side too.

Though he wasn't half-bad, really. "Had your wounds healed yet?" She asked, not sure on how fast he was supposed to heal— unlike her, he was not a pure-blooded warrior who, moreover, came from one of the most prestigious union within the tribe in the form of Umibouzu and Kouka's daughter. "If not, I have to disinfect them or else it could grow bad, you know."

The black haired boy shook his head, "It's fine, even someone like me heals overnight. Besides, you took most of the blows. It's not fair, I will learn to dodge if I had taken them," she laughed at the serious aura he was giving off. This child was always too uptight— hell so funny, and kind of adorable when flustered or embarrassed.

"You won't learn by getting hurt on a real mission right now, you will, later. Right now that's too young, you have to sharpen your senses, see how battles work and when you had mastered the basis, you will get your own share of experience." Didn't she make a magnificent teacher? "I don't want brats learning to fight through pain."

"I'm not a brat!"

"Yes you are," she pinched his nose which earned her a cry of disagreement. "Now let's eat breakfast, shall we? No—wait— we have to shower first." She had just noticed her dirtied arms, not to mention her beds' sheets and it wasn't a beautiful sight to see. First, there was a lot of dirt or rather, of red sand because the mission had taken place on Mars, then blood. Violet blood that had splashed as she had killed the whole flock of aliens with Kei, she did most of the job and looked pretty much like a blueberry taste Yato right now. As for Kei, he wasn't better since she had thrown him around so he would not take any blows and his skin had been scratched here and there. Of course, he did make some kills himself, you could see it on his torso covered of violet.

"What are we going to do today?" He had asked just before leaving the bedroom and going to his own private bathroom— he was enough of a big boy to clean himself.

With a smile, Kagura rose from her feet and pointed a disapproving finger at him. "It was the first time you were on a _real_ mission so we'll rest. Though the next one is coming soon, we are going to Edo, you know, on the blue planet. The Earth." Then, as he had nodded Kagura enjoyed her long bath, taking her sweet time to wash her hair and skin.

After slipping a white Qipao on her fully grown body Kagura went to the kitchen. The ship was spacious and had a large one with everything you might need, even the latest technology of _frying pan_. As ridiculous as it may that's where she lived now. Well, most of the times. After all, not everyone had somewhere to park _Cyber-Sadaharu_ 8888 (the name of her spaceship) there. Talking of Sadaharus, the giant white dog joined her quickly, both to greet her and demand foods.

"Good morning to you too, Sadaharu," she saluted before suddenly announcing the menu. "All right, today it will be…Pancakes!"

They were going to Earth in a matter of twenty-four to forty-eight hours, with a ship like hers; the best of the best. They might as well as getting used to eating Earthling dishes for they were going to stay longer than all of her previous missions. The summer festival lasted a week which was also the amount of time they were summoned for— and will be paid for, that meant a quite handsome reward. Not money, but resources points were enough for her to live decadently (more often than not, she had to buy a _decadent_ amount of food to nourish an adult Yato, a giant _Inukami_ and a Halfling). Besides, she spared some money and points; she didn't need a lot of dresses anymore for her puberty had come to its end a long time ago. Her closet was almost too small to contain everything (why the hell did she grow those heavy stuff on her chest?), and she hadn't bought any games lately.

Who would, when their life equaled to a video game's protagonist's one?

"Pancakes, pancakes, we'll go back to Earth!" she repeated in a sing-song voice, meanwhile the said pancakes were piling up akin to a growing mountain on saucers. Sadaharu must have understood her words, he was wagging his tail in an excited manner as if knowing he'd be soon able to put a certain silver perm's head within his mouth. "Strawberry pancakes~ Blueberry pancakes~ Banana pancakes!"

"She sings badly, doesn't she, Sadaharu?" Kei whispered conspiringly with the dog who, by the way, barked back as if agreeing.

Kagura turned slowly to face them with one of the creepiest smile they had ever seen on her rather cute face. "Ohhhh, is that so?" The fake-cheery voice of hers made the two males (because they were males, after all, from a different species) shiver, certainly, it didn't mean anything good to them. "No pancakes for you two then! Strawberry, blueberry, and banana pancakes are all mine, mine you hear? That shall teach you who the captain is, in this ship."

Immediately, the two ran up at her with shining, grossly cute eyes that pressed her to forget her last statement and Kagura chortled, because she knew she couldn't win against them; anyway. When they all sat down (even Sadaharu got his own chair; albeit one specifically made for him) and ravaged the sweet breakfast, Kei inquired about the Earth and what they were supposed to do there.

"Well, the tax-rob— I mean their police, the Shinsengumi, needed someone to take care of remaining rebels, you know. Since the Shoguness had been put well, on her rightful rank, there has been a lot of problems with people wanting her title, people that thought she didn't deserve it and so on," Gin-chan had talked about it on a long paragraph, in one of his letters. That never happened before, Gin-chan writing a lot! Of Soyo-chan getting all the hard work because she was young, she was a woman, formerly a little rich and naïve princess that suddenly got the power and people weren't just happy with the course of the event. "We're here to help them because people always get excited in the summer festival."

She licked the remaining cream on the side of her mouth and, with a silly grin, she changed of subject. "There will be candy apples there and lot of good things to eat."

"Is that because Earthlings are weak that you are so relaxed about this request?"

"On the contrary, they are _strong_ so I know that they won't need a lot of our help. We'll be extras for once, besides I wouldn't miss the chance to visit Earth again. I had told you, right? It's my home, here, on this blue planet." Dreamily, she reminisces the Yorozuya days where they messed everything up every time, or when they crossed the Shinsengumi's path as if fate itself pushed them to do so. Of course, there were sadder memories that could be resumed in a few words; crows, immortal and hate. Deep hate of Utsuro to himself and his seemingly never-ending life, deep hate for the warrior races that were just _too_ strong for humans to bear in mind. "We won't be very well welcomed, I think. We'll take our cloak just in case, the big ones because they might remember Kamui's red hair. I have the same tint as his and promise, we really don't need people pursuing and burning us to death by sunlight." She sounded so serious a minute, with her face all dull— so rarely dull— though in a flashlight, she looked very much like the reckless girl she had always been. "And Sukonbu— we need sukonbu."

"What is that again?"

"Food. My favorite!" She cheered again and got up to wash up the saucers has been just used. Fortunately for Kagura, she had a dishwasher and so, never had to do many efforts in keeping the ship clean. Sometimes Kei helped her if the machine ever broke.

"Last time you said your favorite was Tangyuan—" he made her notice, "And the last-last time it was the spicy giant sheep meat. And the last-last-last—"

" _Oh fine_ , tight-assed brat," she was pouting as her arms were crossed over her chest and her head turned to the opposite direction of his stare. "It's my favorite from _Earth_. Happy?"

"Old lady like you," he remarked once again, "Will never get married if you continue to talk _and act_ like a boor." After wiping out any remaining puff of cream from his face, Kei wore a teasing grin at his mentor and stuck his tongue at her. "Plus my royal ass has nothing to do with you, pedo!"

"What?!" A vein had just popped on Kagura's forehead, just as quickly as her hand when it caught one of the _infamous highly advanced technology frying pan_ and tried to smack it against his face. Kei dodged, being advantaged by his height. His legs may be short (for now) but he could run fast, fast enough to hop on Sadaharu and escape more expensive frying pans used as lethal projectiles. "I'm not an old lady, I'm only twenty you tiny idiot!" She yelled louder, only making Kei laugh even more.

"That's what you say!"

"Hey, for your information I am a very attractive young woman. I could get any man I want _and_ ," she stretched across the table to catch a fork and throw right beside the boy— the iron had just caressed his cheeks— Kagura started to cry from hilarity as Sadaharu threw out Kei from his back. "Who's interested in who? You're light-years too far to ever catch my fancy, you should be grateful since I still accepted you."

Kei glared at the dog and murmured angrily, "Traitor." It was as if the bro-code going on between has just been broken. It happened frequently, though, Kagura was too strong and she could be really frightening and creative when it came to punishments. "It's not true, you accepted me because I'm cute and you liked me. That's what you said?"

"Oho, are you trying to flirt with me?" She winked at him and sighed, the kitchen was a mess again. She'll get both Kei and Sadaharu to tidy the room up as there were no reasons for them to escape the boring task. What with she and being an old lady, anyway? "I liked _the look of your eyes_. The others were very admiring towards me but you were the only one honest and motivated. I didn't want to drag a fan every day around space."

"So I'm not cute?" He was picking up the 'weapons' constituted of a fork and lot of flying pans (he never used this word this many times in such a limited amount of time, not even in his mind talking) and upon extending them to Kagura for he was too small to reach the shelf, hugged her.

"Hmm, perhaps you're cute. Yup, yup, maybe you'll be able to ask out this Kagura-sama on a date, one day. For now," she invited her not so loyal Sadaharu to join in, which the canine gladly did "It's me who take you two out! Before reaching Earth there's a space mall not far, how about going there? We need to buy stuff anyway, your pants' too short."

"Can I get…What do they call it again? Ice-Scream?"

"That's 'Ice cream', but sure, why not?"

Kei only crawled closer to his mentor and laughed. He liked doing missions with her, or training, because he'll learn more about his future job and plenty of other knowledge he deemed to be of his use. But the time where he was at the happiest was when they just finished one, and after discovering thirty-six new facts or technics, Kagura would take him out and they'd have fun together with Sadaharu. Kagura knew so— because Kei never smiled when they are out on a job, but he did smile a lot when it was this kind of trivial activity.

And she laughed and smiled with him.


End file.
